SHIRAH Community Chorus to Perform Songs of Hope and Praise June 12

SHIRAH, the community chorus of the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades, under the direction of renowned conductor Mathew Lazar, will present "Songs of Hope and Praise," a program spanning the centuries of Jewish music from Baroque times through the 20th century, on Sunday, June 12 at 7 p.m. The concert will take place in the Taub Auditorium, located within the JCC at 411 East Clinton Avenue.

"Songs of Hope and Praise" will present repertoire spanning three centuries of Jewish popular, secular and liturgical music, including a tribute to the 100th anniversary of the Kibbutz movement.

To purchase tickets ($18 general admission, $15 JCC members), contact the JCC Thurnauer School of Music at 201.408.1465 or thurnauer@jccotp.org.

About SHIRAH

SHIRAH was created 17 years ago by Matthew Lazar, who founded and directs the Zamir Choral Foundation in New York and who also created the acclaimed North American Jewish Choral Festival, now in its 22nd year, as well as HaZamir: the International High School Jewish Choir movement with chapters throughout the United States and Israel.

SHIRAH, under the sponsorship and with the encouragement of Ruth and Bernard Weinflash, combines the openness of a non-auditioned choir with the excellence and precise interpretation that are always the hallmark of a Lazar-led group. A project of the JCC Thurnauer School of Music, SHIRAH brings together singers from across the Jewish denominational spectrum to perform the great choral works of the Jewish experience.

"People who are firm believers in the right, firm believers in the left and firm believers in the center need a place where they can all agree. Fortunately, music is one of those places where we can all agree. This is what I've tried to accomplish here with SHIRAH," said Lazar.

SHIRAH has been featured in concerts in the United States and Israel, including at Avery Fisher Hall (Lincoln Center), the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJ PAC), the Bergen Performing Arts Center (formerly the John Harms Center), and the Colden Center, featuring the world premiere performance of "This Scroll" by Dov Selzer with the Queens Symphony. SHIRAH performs annually at the North American Jewish Choral Festival, and in synagogue concerts throughout the tri-state area. SHIRAH was featured in the opening ceremonies of the 2003 JCC Maccabi Games at the Continental Airlines Arena (now the Izod Center) in East Rutherford, N.J., and performed at the North American JCC Association meeting in Philadelphia in 2006. SHIRAH released a CD in honor of its 10th anniversary, and a second CD is planned.